Charge-blending device



June 10, 1930.

H. VAN DEVENTER El AL 1,763,450

CHARGE BLENDING' DEVICE I Filed June 29. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 10,1930. H. VAN DEVENTER ET AL 1,763,450

CHARGE BLENDING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1927 2 SheetsSheet 2 llllllill WWWIll! H Patented June 10, 1930 are" HOB-ACE VAN DEVENTER AND EDDIE H.STEPP, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE CHARGE-BLENDING DEVICE Application filed.Tune 29,

This invention relates to improvements in blending devices for producinga fuel charge mixture for employment in an internal combustion engine.

It has heretofore been proposed to employ various types of mixingdevices between the carbureter and the engine intake, including manyforms of fuel mixture heaters, and specific mixing devices. The presentinvention relates to a form of blending device which may be operatedeither hot or cold: and which in particular serves to improve the fuelmixture prior to its entry into the engine so that a lesser a nount offuel is employed for a given development of power.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a blending deviceof this type which is simple of construction and mounting, and which iscompact in space occupied and eificient inthe results attained.

Another object is to provide such a structure for insertion in the fuelline between the carbureter and the intake of the engine so that it maybe readily attached by a mechanic: and which is provided with means foradmitting auxiliary air to improve the charge proportion under givenconditions of operation, by admitting auxiliary air to the mixturebefore and during blending.

With these and other objects in view as will appear in the course of thefollowing specification and claims, one form of execution of this deviceis illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation indicating the connection of the blendingdevice between a earbureter and the intake of an engine.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view substantially on line 2-2 of Fig.3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the blending device proper,substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2.

In these drawings, this is shown in one form of execution as applied toan internal combustion engine, which is conventionally shown as thefragmentary engine P, being provided with the intake manifold I and theexhaust manifold E, each having the cus-' ternary branches forcommunication with 1927. Serial No. 202,373.

the respective cylinders of the engine. Such constructions are old andwell known in the art and are merely indicated conventionally in thedrawings.

The exhaust manifold E is connected to the exhaust pipe line 10 whichleads to the manifold pipe M and thence to a usual manifold or similardischarge apparatus, as is well known in the art. Along the length ofthe pipe 10 is located a control valve indicated as the butterfly 11which regulates the section of passage through the pipe 10 and may causea diversion of a predetermined proportion of the hot exhaust gas througha branch pipe 12 which leads to the jacket of the blending device, asdescribed herein: and a further exhaust pipe line 13 is connected to theoutlet from this jacket and leads the exhaust back into the manifoldpipe M.

According to the present invention, a carbureter C is provided of anycustomary type, the specific instance illustrated having a float chamberF to control the delivery of fuel coming to the fuel pipe connection14:, and admitting this fuel in the customary manner to a jet or jetswithin the vertical conduit 15 where it is mixed with air enteringthrough the air inlet A as controlled by suitable throttle valves at 16and 17. B represents the regulator for the air. It will be understoodthat such carbureters are old and well known in the art, and the theparticular form illustrated is merely by way of convention and thedetails of such construction are not claimed in conjunction with thisinvention. The upper end of the vertical pipe 15 carries a flange 18which is bolted to a similar flange 19 upon the lateral branch 20 of thepresent blending device, to form a sealed joint therewith.

This lateral branch 20 is illustrated as being substantially ofrectangular cross-section and at its left hand end in Fig. 1 carries anautomatic auxiliary air inlet 11, comprising a movable plunger carryinga valve plate and having a spring. It will be understood that with thepressure in the lateral branch 20 at below atmospheric, the valve platewill open against the action of the spring and admit a quantity ofauxiliary air which is proall portioned to the relative vacuum existingin the lateral branch 20.

The blending device proper includes the lateral branch 20, constitutingthe inlet conduit, and a vertical central pipe 21 constituting theoutlet conduit. A cylindrical jacket 22 is mounted concentrically withthe pipe 21, and has a bottom closing wall 23. Theupper end of thejacket 22 fits over a projecting portion 24 of the upper or top wall 25and forms a tight joi nt therewith. The pipe 21, the jacket 22 and thebottom and top walls 23 and 25 therefor form an annular space which hasa partition 26 dividing or blocking the same radially: which is locatedas shown in Fig. 2 so that the inlet conduit or lateral branch 20 opensinto this annular space ad'- j acent the top of this partition 26. Aplurality of vertical baffles 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 are provided,likewise radially arranged, to divide the, annular space into successivechambers. These baflles alternately extend from oneend wall 23 or 25,and terminate short of the other end wall 25 or 23, as shown in thefigures: so that a tortuous path of flow is formed through the annularspace from the inlet conduit 20 to the outlet conduit 21. For thispurpose, the baffles 27, 29, 31, terminate short of the-bottom 23: whilethe baffles 28, 30 and 32 terminate short of the top wall 25. It willbenoted that an even number of bafiles is provided in the illustratedform. At the point of the path of flow most removed from theinletconduit 20, i. e., at the bottom of the compartment formed by thepartition 26 and the baflle 32, an aperture 33 is provided to es tablisha communication between the bottom of this compartment and the interiorof the outlet conduit 21.

The jacket 22 therefore constitutes a housing, or mixing chamber inwhich is established a tortuouspath of flow for themixture ,which passessuccessively downward and upward in these several compartments, and ,isfinally discharged through the top wall 25.

Con'centrically mounted about the jacket 22-is an outer cylindrical wallor sleeve 34 which forms a tight joint at its upper end with the endwall 32 intheform shown, and at its bottom is closed by the bottommember 35: the sleeve 34 is tightly assembled to the end members 25, 35by suitable bolts 36, so that a" rigid assembly is produced. The inletpipe 12 for the exhaust gases passes through'the sleeve 34 adjacent itsbottom: While theoutlet'pipe 13 passes through this wall'diametrallyopposite and near its top so that a flow of exhaust gases within thesleeve will effect aheating of the side walls or jacket 22 of thishousing.

v Integrally formed with the bottom mem-. ber 35 are a number of lugs 37which extend upwardly therefrom and serve to support the end wall 23 ofthe housing, and to maintain this housing in its allotted position.

The end wall 23 has a pipe 38 connected thereto for communication withthe bottom of the outlet conduit 21, this pipe extending to a petcock 39or other similar control device to regulate a secondaryadmission ofauxiliary air into fuel mixture after it has passed, in its tortuouspath, through the opening 33. A suitable packing L0 and gland nut L0"are provided to close this bottom member 35 except as regulated by thecock 39.

The lugs 37 are spaced apart and away from the pipe 38 to provide achamber by which the exhaust gases may pass from the pipe 12 intoimmediate contact wi h the bottom wall 23, so that they individuallyheat the bottoms of the several chambers and serve to volatilize anydeposited liquid fuel contained in these compartments.

At the upper end of the central pipe 21 is a flange 42 which may bebolted to a similar flange 43 on the intake manifold I, with theintermediary of a suitable gasket if desire A suitable thermostaticdevice T may be located within the chamber between the lugs 37 where itis radially mounted on the bottom member 35 and can actuate controlelements to the exterior for regulation of the valvell or forcontrolling the change from a light volatile fuel such as gasoline to alow volatile fuel such as kerosene: so that the engine may be startedupon gasoline and thereafter automatically change to kerosene uponreaching a predetermined degree of heat. Such devices are old and wellknown in the art and need not be described in full detail, save to pointout that the space is available for the reception of a thermostaticelement.

As shown in Fig. 1, the valve 11 may be controlled by a push rod 44 fromthe dashboard.

The method of operating this device with the employment of the exhaustheat to assist in vaporization is as follows: In starting, the butterfly11 is moved to substantially close the pipe 10 so that immediately uponstarting exhaust gases are diverted through the pipe 12 into the sleevechamber and out through pipe 13 to the muffler pipe M, thus heating thehousing 25. The fuel mixture from the carbureter C passes into thelateral branch 20 and thence into the first compartment within thehousing 25 and downwardly therein, then upwardly in the nextcompartment, etc. until finally it passes in its path of flow throughthe opening 33 and upward in the outlet conduit 21 to the intakemanifold and other engine cylinder, where it is exploded and as exhaustgas passes back through the device to heat the same. At such low speedsof starting, the auxiliary air valve 41 remains closed, but as theengine speeds up, the suction produced extends through Cir the intakemanifold and the housing into the lateral branch 20 and causes anopening of the valve 41 to admit auxiliary air: and in addition aquantity of air may be admitted through the secondary auxiliary cock 39.As the engine warms up, the throttle 11 may be opened more and more,with correspondingly lesser quantities of exhaust gases passing throughthe pipe 12, 13 and the interior of sleeve 34.

It has been found, however, in operation, that it is not necessary toheat the housing 22 in order to produce a thorough mixture and blendingof the charge: and that in fact the outer sleeve 3a may be omitted andyet such operation maintained. For this, it is found that the tortuouspath causes a thorough mingling and blending of the ingredients of thecharge so that they are delivered in form for combustion in the enginecylinder. Under some conditions of actual operation, it is found thatthe outer walls of the device become very cold: while a mixture forexcellent combustion is delivered at the cylinder.

.' In particular, it has been found in practice that an automobile,operating with its carbureter at a setting of maximum efiiciency,-

gave about 17% miles per measured gallon of gasoline; with the samecarbureter and automobile, and over the same roads, using the blendingdevice with heater, a run of 29 gallons was made with a similarlymeasured gallon of the same gasoline: while with the device used withoutthe heater, a run of 31 miles was made on a similarly measured galmentof structures other than that illusrated: and in particular that suchstructures may be modified in any wise within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a charge blending device for internal combustion engines, an innerconduit, a concentric outer jacket and end members to define an annularspace between said conduit and jacket, a partition and a plurality ofbaffles joining said conduit and jacket, said partition closing saidannular space and said baffles alternately, extending from a respectiveend wall and terminating short of the other wall at top and bottomwhereby to form a series of axially extending compartments each havingan inlet opening at one end and an outlet opening at the other end, aconduit to connect the inlet opening of a compartment adjacent saidpartition to a carburetor, an-

other of said compartments having its outlet opening in communicationwith the inner conduit, and means to connect said inner conduit to aninternal combustion engine intake.

2. In a charge blending device for an internal combustion engine, twoend members, an outer jacket closing said members, a partition extendingbetween said members, a first conduit opening into said device adjacentsaid partition, a plurality of baffles alternately terminating short ofthe respective end members whereby to form a series of compartmentssuccessively communicating with each other at alternate ends toestablish a tortuous path of flow, and a second conduit leading from thecompartment most removed from said first conduit in the path of flow.

3. In a charge forming and blending device for an internal combustionengine, two horizontal end members, an outer jacket closing saidmembers, a partition extending between said members, an inlet conduitopening into said device adjacent said partition and extendinghorizontally therefrom and having a bottom opening to communicate with acarbureter, a suction controlled auxiliary air inlet valve in said inletconduit, a plurality of vertical baflles alternately extending fromopposite end members and terminating short of the other end memberwhereby to form a series of compartments successively communicating witheach other at alternate ends to establish a tortuous path of flow, andan outlet conduit leading from the compartment most removed in line offlow from said inlet conduit.

4. In a charge blending device for an internal combustion engine, twospaced horizontal end members, an outer jacket closing said members, aninner vertical conduit passing through the upper member and extending tosaid lower member and forming an annular closed space with said jacket,a vertical partition dividing said space, an inlet conduit opening intosaid space adjacent the upper end of said partition, and an even numberof baiiles alternately extending from said bottom and said top membersand terminating short of the other member to define a tortuous path offlow in said annular space from said inlet conduit, said inner conduithaving an opening communicating with said space at the end of said lineof flow adjacent the bottom of said partition, and means connecting saidinner conduit to the intake of the engine.

5. In a charge blending device for an internal combustion engine, twospaced horizontal end members, a jacket and an inner conduit forming anannular space between said members, a vertical partition dividing saidspace, an inlet conduit opening into said space adjacent the top of thepartition, a plurality of baflles alternately extending from said bottomand said top members and termihating short of the other member to cause7 incoming fluid to pass tortuousl'y through said'annular space, saidinner conduit having an opening into said space at a point removed fromthe opening of said inlet conduit, and means to connect the top of saidinner conduit to the intake of the engine.

6. In a. charge blending device for an internal combustion engine, aflow chamber having end and jacket walls, an inner conduit forming anannular space with said jacket wall, battles in said space extendingalternately from said end Walls to cause incoming fluid to passtortuously through said space, an outersleeve and bottom wall formmg asecond annular space around saidjacket, said bottom Wall being spacedfrom the bottom of said cup, lugs on said bottomwall to support saidcup, and means to connect said top and bottom walls and said sleeve sothat said cup is thereby held in position. 7

7. In a fluid charge blending device, an inner conduit, a concentricouter jacket and end members to define a closed annular space betweensaid conduit and jacket, a partition dividing said annular space, saiddevice being provided with an opening at one end'adjacent one sideof-said partition, said inner conduit providing an opening to theexterior of said device and having a communication with said annularspace adjacent the other side of said partition, and a plurality ofbaffles each extending from said conduit to said jacket and outwardlyextending from one end wall but terminating'short of the other end wallwhereby to provide a tortuous path of fiow for the charge in its passagethrough the annular chamber fr'omone side of said partition to theother.

In testimony whereof, We affix our signatures.

HORACE VAN DEVENTER. EDDIE H. STEPP.

